WEDNESDAY, MARCH 11, 2015 SPORTS San Lorenzo defeat Estudiantes BUENOS AIRES: Pablo Barrientos scored a and Corinthians of Brazil in the Libertadores stunning lob from almost halfway to seal a Cup, though it came against an Estudiantes 2-0 win for San Lorenzo over Estudiantes on side made up largely of reserves due to Monday, leaving Rosario Central as sole injuries. Estudiantes were also giving some leaders of the Argentine championship. players a rest ahead of their Libertadores Midfielder Sebastian Blanco put San Cup visit to Libertad in Paraguay tomorrow. Lorenzo ahead in the ninth minute of the At the top of the table, Central have a match in La Plata with his first goal for the maximum 12 points after Saturday’s 3-1 win club since arriving last year. at Olimpo, the highlight a hat-trick by strik- Barrientos then made sure of the victory er Marco Ruben. midway through the second half. The for- Boca Juniors are two points behind after mer Catania midfielder executed a superb Sunday’s 1-1 draw at Colon in Santa Fe where lob from just inside the halfway line that substitute Dani Osvaldo missed three good had goalkeeper Agustin Silva scurrying chances to give his new team the three back frantically from the penalty spot in a points. “We left the pitch angry at the result, futile attempt to stop the ball going in not our game,” Osvaldo’s striker partner under the bar. “That was probably my best Jonathan Calleri told Fox Sports on Monday. goal ... Luckily the ball went in behind the “We must improve our finishing ... It was our goalkeeper,” the substitute said. It was a best match of the championship.” South timely win for San Lorenzo after home American champions San Lorenzo and defeats by modest San Juan in the league Estudiantes both have nine points. — Reuters Preview Cahill: Chelsea buzzing ahead of return to PSG LONDON: Chelsea are brimming with confi- itive experiences from that and try and build dence and, fortified by a seven-day break, momentum for many more cup finals,” added go into today’s Champions League last-16 Cahill. “We are very proud of winning our first return match as favourites to knock Paris St trophy as a group together and getting that Germain out for the second season in a row. win at West Ham. But they are gone, all that is Defender Gary Cahill says “there’s a great on our minds now is the PSG game.” OLD TRAFFORD: Manchester United’s Ashley Young (right) falls following a challenge by Arsenal’s Nacho Monreal during the English FA Cup buzz” around Stamford Bridge after the Zlatan Ibrahimovic was missing through quarterfinal soccer match. — AP Londoners followed their 2-0 League Cup injury when PSG were beaten on away goals final victory over Tottenham Hotspur on by Chelsea in last season’s quarter-finals but March 1 by winning 1-0 at West Ham United the French club’s talismanic striker is fit this in the Premier League three days later. Treble- time round. Welbeck sinks United chasing Chelsea, who are five points clear at Last month’s first leg in Paris ended in a 1- the top of the Premier League, have not 1 draw and visiting coach Laurent Blanc MANCHESTER: Discarded striker Danny much joy on his first return to Old Trafford since WEMBLEY DATE played since their Upton Park triumph and, wants his attack to be more ruthless than Welbeck returned to demolish Manchester his 16 million pounds (24.20 million) switch. With a Wembley semi-final against second according to Cahill, the Wembley win over they were during Saturday’s 4-1 victory over United’s hopes of silverware by netting the win- But he produced the game’s decisive tier Reading or third tier Bradford City to come Spurs has lifted the squad’s self-belief to new struggling RC Lens in Ligue 1. “When you play ner in Arsenal’s 2-1 FA Cup quarter-final victory moment with a helping hand from United’s next month, Arsenal are favourites to retain the heights. “The Cup final was huge in terms of a game like the one against Lens you must be at Old Trafford on Monday. England interna- bungling defence. trophy and claim a record 12th FA Cup. the atmosphere around the club and the efficient,” said Blanc who criticised Argentine tional Welbeck, who joined the Londoners in There seemed little danger as a high ball Liverpool will have other ideas, although they dressing room,” he told the club website forward Ezequiel Lavezzi for wasting an September after his United career stalled, was pumped forward but Phil Jones elected to must win a replay against Blackburn Rovers to (www.chelseafc.com). opportunity in front of an open goal. “If he pounced on a horrendous back pass by chest the ball to Valencia who wafted a weak book a semi-final spot against Premier League “We were desperate as a squad to win that misses the same chance at Stamford Bridge I Antonio Valencia in the 61st minute to send the pass in the direction of keeper David De Gea. It rivals Aston Villa. game. It’s the first time this group, a newish won’t be the only one who is not happy.” PSG holders through. never stood a chance and Welbeck clipped the A lively start to the game saw Marouane group formed at the start of last season and will be without injured forward Lucas but fel- In a rip-roaring first half Nacho Monreal’s ball round the Spaniard and rolled it into an Fellaini squander a chance for United before before this season, has reached the end of a low Brazilian David Luiz returns to Chelsea for cool finish put Arsenal ahead in the 26th empty net. “We had to start without apprehen- Alex Oxlade-Chamberlian carved open the competition together. “We came through it the first time since moving to Paris in the minute but Wayne Rooney’s diving header sion and play at a high pace and we did that home defence with a mazy dribble to tee up really well and hopefully we can take the pos- close season. — Reuters evened it up three minutes later. well,” said Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger, Montreal. With fellow countryman De Gea to United, who will now ponder a second con- who admitted in the build-up that he was still beat, the left back poked an effort inside the secutive season without a trophy in the wake of haunted by a 1999 FA Cup semi-final defeat by near post. manager Alex Ferguson’s retirement, ended the United. The lead lasted three minutes with Rooney, match with 10 men after Angel Di Maria was “Danny Welbeck, I believe is just happy to who has still not won the FA Cup, heading in Di red-carded for grabbing the referee’s shirt just score. He worked extremely hard today and Maria’s pinpoint cross. United struggled after the seconds after being booked for diving. deserved his goal.” It was Arsenal’s first FA Cup break and Arsenal could have won by a bigger Welbeck had managed only two goals for win over United since the 2005 final and their margin with Santi Cazorla and Alexis Sanchez Arsenal since October and was not having first in any competition since May 2011. both denied by the superb De Gea. — Reuters Strong league to fuel Qatar’s Asia ambition DUBAI: Qatar’s soccer league chief hopes a close alliance with the national team can help the country improve its international per- formance following a disappointing Asian Cup this year. The energy exporter is the world’s richest LONDON: Chelsea’s Ivorian striker Didier Drogba (second right) controls the ball dur- country per capita and has used its dizzying ing a training session at Chelsea’s training ground ahead of their UEFA Champions wealth to become a major force in soccer - at League, round of 16, second leg football match against Paris Saint Germain. — AFP least off the pitch. Qatar will host the 2022 World Cup, its rich- Preview es have propelled Paris Saint Germain into Europe’s club elite and broadcaster BeIn Sports has bought the rights to many of soc- Bayern ready for cer’s major competitions. On-field success has proved more elusive for a country where less than a fifth of the 2.3 crunch clash million population are thought to be locals and Qatar’s FIFA world ranking of 109 reflects its toils at January’s Asian Cup where it lost all BERLIN: Bayern Munich go into their They (Shakhtar) have extremely quick forwards three group matches. Champions League last-16 second leg at home and we cannot allow them to make their runs,” “It’s very important for us to become a con- to Shakhtar Donetsk today knowing the game said the Spaniard. Bayern, five-time European sistent football force in Asia, which we’re real- will make or break their season. champions, need to win to advance over 90 ly striving to be,” Qatar Stars League chief Bayern are runaway Bundesliga leaders and minutes, with a score draw sending the executive Hani Taleb Ballan told Reuters. also reached the German Cup quarter-finals last Ukrainians through after their goalless first leg week, but anything short of lifting Europe’s last month. “Until now we haven’t achieved that, so it’s biggest club crown will be considered a failure The Bavarians are still odds-on favorites to normal to see us sometimes lose.